A New Beginning
by mysticmelodies1
Summary: First comes love, then comes... This is a sequel to "Everything Will Be Alright in the End (and the Beginning)", so it's probably best if you start with that one :)
1. Finally

A few months had passed and Douglas's divorce from Jean had been finalized, cutting the last ties to his dreary past and allowing him to finally look forward to spending the rest of his life with Evelyn. It was sped along by the fact that she hadn't contested anything, as they both agreed that their parting was for the best. He left her enough for her to live comfortably but he really just wanted the whole thing over with. He wanted to be done with it all so he could well and truly move on. And today was that day.

When he got the call from their lawyer, he felt this immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He would have danced around the room if he were the type for it. He had been so incredibly fortunate to find someone whom he not only loved with all his heart, but who loved him back. And now there was nothing else standing in the way of their future together. He hung up as quickly as he could without appearing rude, and rushed off to find Evelyn to tell her the news.

Evelyn was sitting in the lobby of the hotel with Madge and Muriel, chatting and people watching as new guests arrived. Madge's eyes were locked on a tall, dark-haired man with expensive looking luggage, who seemed to be openly returning her looks of interest. She waved at him and he waved back with a coy smile as he turned back to the young desk clerk to finalize his reservations. As soon as the man turned his back, Evelyn and Madge erupted into a fit of girlish giggling, while Muriel rolled her eyes and got on with her crossword. She couldn't help peering over the rim of her glasses and letting out a chuckle herself at how juvenile they were being about the whole thing.

Muriel nudged Madge with her foot. "Just go and talk to him already!"

Madge turned with a gasp. "No! I have to wait. See if he takes the bait. I want to really be sure he's interested."

Muriel raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you waited for a man to make the first move?"

"Well… never. But I suppose I'm tired of being alone. Don't get me wrong, the single life was fun and I love a good bit of flirtatious fun but…," she turned to Evelyn, "After seeing what you and Douglas have found together… well, I want something like that. Something real."

"I don't think either of us was really looking for it to happen. It just did. I think it caught us both by surprise. But that's the thing about love, isn't it? If you spend all your time looking for it, it has a tendency to elude you. You have to let it sort of sneak up on you. Chances are, it'll come when you least expect it." Evelyn smiled and leaned in to hug her dear friend. "You'll find it. Don't worry."

Evelyn saw Douglas practically running toward them as they pulled apart.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's right, in fact." He smiled. "It's over. It's finally over."

"You mean…"

He nodded. "The lawyers just phoned through. Everything's settled."

Evelyn leapt out of her seat and flung her arms around him, giggling and kissing his face as he held her tight to him, never wanting to let her go.

"So… any plans to celebrate?" Madge asked with a smirk.

Muriel reached over and smacked her arm with the newspaper and Madge let out an exaggerated 'ouch!' before turning back to the happy couple.

"Well?" Madge was practically bouncing in her seat.

Douglas smiled. "Nothing big, I shouldn't think."

"Yes. I quite like the idea of celebrating with just the two of us." Evelyn smiled and kissed Douglas's lips gently.

Neither of them saw the knowing look exchanged between Madge and Muriel.

"Well I'll have a drink for both of you then." she smiled. "I'm so happy for the two of you. I really am."

"So am I." Muriel chimed in with a smile.

She looked on fondly as Douglas and Evelyn shared another kiss and Evelyn leaned into his chest. Madge started talking to them about something or other, but she wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. She was looking at Evelyn's face, particularly the way her eyes lit up whenever Douglas came into the room. She was positively glowing. And Douglas was just the same. She'd never seen the man smile so much. In the grand scheme of things, she hadn't known him for very long, but she did know that every time he smiled at her, there was nothing but love for her written across his face. She took off her glasses and sat quietly watching as Evelyn tightened her hold around Douglas's waist. He gently kissed the top of her head and carried on talking to Madge as if that was the way things had always been. She loved seeing her good friends so happy and in love. She'd grown closer to the three of them than she'd ever imagined, and she had to admit, it did a heart good to be surrounded by such caring people. It was high time they snatched a bit of happiness for themselves.

Their conversation was interrupted by the tall, dark-haired man from the registration desk walking over and asking to speak with Madge. He introduced himself as David and Evelyn noticed how Madge sat up straighter when he came over. Within seconds, Madge and David were off to some private corner to discuss… whatever they were discussing. From the brief glimpse she caught of Madge's face, it looked like he'd just asked her on a date. Evelyn smiled. She hoped this one turned out to be good for her. She felt indescribable happiness with Douglas and she couldn't help wanting her friends to know that same joy.

Muriel said she had some business to take care of in town so she left Evelyn and Douglas to celebrate. She walked over the front desk to have a quick word with the clerk and Evelyn and Douglas walked back to their room hand in hand, smiling at each other all the while.

"It all feels a bit surreal." Douglas mused. "To be free. To finally be able to move forward with nothing holding me back."

"Is it a good kind of surreal?"

"Very good." He smiled and ducked his head to kiss her again.

He opened the door for her and she stepped in ahead of him. She walked through to the kitchen and filled the electric kettle to make them both a cup of tea and he quietly closed the door behind himself before kicking his shoes off by the door and padding over to where she was standing. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and she smiled and leaned into him. He bent to kiss her and moaned at the touch of her soft lips against his.

"You're never going to get tired of that, are you?" she smiled

He paused as if seriously considering it before shaking his head. "No. Never," he smiled.

She giggled and kissed him again and pressed the button on the side of the kettle that would start it boiling. He took her hand and led her over to the couch. He sat leaning against the arm so he was reclining with one leg stretched out across the cushions and the other foot on the floor. Evelyn then took her place and sat in the space between his legs, lying back against him as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. She closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh as he nuzzled into her skin. They shared a comfortable silence, the only sound in the room the faint bubble of the kettle as if began to boil.

She reluctantly got up when she heard the soft click from the button on the kettle, letting her know the water was ready.

She walked back over to the worktop and poured them both a cup and he followed her over and stood beside her as she took her first sip.

"I was thinking… if you wanted, maybe later we could go into town. Norman told me that the Ganesh Chaturthi festival starts today." He carefully sounded out the name.

"Oh? What's that?"

"It's a huge celebration of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha. The god of new beginnings."

"Fitting." she smiled.

"Yes. That's what I thought too," he smiled. "There's supposed to be all sorts of music and dancing. Lots of statues everywhere," he said. She nodded, remembering seeing the hotel staff setting one up in the lobby, though at the time, she didn't know it was for a festival. "So… do you want to go out later, or…?"

"Yes. I think I'd like that. It certainly sounds like something worth seeing, doesn't it?"

He smiled and nodded and couldn't help himself kissing her again. She closed her eyes and carefully felt for the countertop as she placed her tea cup down. She ran her hands up his arms and brought them in to gently caress his face. He pulled away smiling and gently rested his forehead on hers.

"If you keep that up, we won't be going anywhere," she chided.

"This is a bad thing?" he smirked and she swatted his arm, laughing.

"Behave!"

"I'm sorry."

She snorted. "You are not"

"You're right. I'm not." He smirked and kissed her again before going through to the bedroom to get a change of clothes to go out in. She insisted he looked fine in what he had on but he told her he wanted to freshen up if he was going to be seen with such a lovely lady. She blushed at the compliment and swatted his arm and he kissed her quickly before darting into the bedroom. She thought there was something about him today that she couldn't quite put her finger on… something a tad peculiar. But she decided to let it go for the time being.

She smiled to herself and picked up her cooling cup of tea and sipped it quietly as she leaned against the countertop. The smile never left her face these days, and she was glad of it. She couldn't remember ever having a reason to smile this much. She started to let her mind wander, thinking of all the ways Douglas made her smile. Her eyes slipped closed and she got so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice him come back out of the bedroom.

He walked over to her and pecked her lips, making her eyes flutter open.

"Hello," she whispered.

"Hello yourself," he smiled.

"Ready?"

He nodded. "Very. Shall we go?"

She set her cup in the sink and took his arm as he led her out the door and down to the lobby. Now that the sun was beginning to fade from the sky, she could see the lights more clearly as they illuminated the many Ganesha statues adorning the streets. The hotel lobby even had a few on display and Evelyn thought they were absolutely breathtaking. There were tons of people celebrating and adorning the fronts of buildings with statues and lights and all sorts of decorations. They walked about the town for about an hour or so, admiring the lights and bright colors before heading back to the hotel.

They walked back up to their room and Evelyn could tell Douglas was deep in thought about something. He sat next to the open window and looked out of it for a moment as she slipped her shoes off and padded over to him.

"You think too much, you know," she smiled, bending down a bit to kiss his temple.

"Sorry," he smiled.

"Don't be. Just tell me what's bothering you." She said quietly.

"There's nothing bothering me… not exactly. But I have been thinking about something rather important."

She sat beside him on the window seat. "Is this about the divorce?"

He tilted his head from side to side. "Yes and no. It's more to do with us."

He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I've been waiting for something for a long time now. Ever since my marriage fell through… long before the subject of divorce came up… I felt like there was something missing in my life. And then I came here and met you and I knew I'd found that missing piece at last. Then I waited for what felt like an eternity for the divorce to go through because I wanted so badly to start my life with you. And now that it's finally over, I don't really want to do any more waiting."

She held her breath as he took a small velvet box out of his right pocket. There was no question as to what was coming next. There was also no question as to what her answer would be, but she wanted to be sure he was really ready. After all, he'd only just gotten the call about the divorce that afternoon.

"Are you sure?" she said softly, tearing her eyes away from the box in his hand to gaze into his eyes.

"I've never been surer of anything in my life. I know with the timing and everything it seems a bit soon, but… honestly, I don't think we can afford to waste much time at our stage of life. I want you, all of you. I want us to be together, officially. And I want the world to know."

He opened the box to reveal a brightly sparkling diamond ring. There were two bright blue sapphires to either side of the diamond, and the festival lights twinkling through the window made it shine even more brilliantly. She felt the emotion rising within her and ordered herself not to cry.

"They remind me of your eyes," he whispered. "I know it's not exactly a conventional ring, but then our relationship wasn't exactly conventional either. And you're certainly not a conventional woman. You're special. One of a kind. I thought your ring should reflect that."

He took it out of the box and she felt her breath hitch as he slipped it onto her finger. He kissed her hand and covered it with both of his.

"I love you, Evelyn Greenslade. And nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

She froze for a moment before flinging her arms around him, pulling back just enough to kiss his lips gently, but passionately. He pulled away and looked into her shining blue eyes which were brimming with unshed tears.

"Can I take that as a yes?" he asked with a smile.

She kissed him again and whispered against his lips. "Yes."

He smiled and then found himself laughing. He wasn't sure why. He supposed he just couldn't contain his happiness anymore and it had to get out somehow or he would burst. He hugged her tightly to him and pulled back to kiss her again.

"You've just made me the happiest man alive," he whispered in her ear.

"Not yet I haven't," she smirked and wiped an escaped tear from her cheek.

She took his hand, standing up and giving his hand a tug so he'd follow. He stood and kissed her deeply before she led him through to the bedroom. He pushed the doorknob and closed the door on the past, and as he walked over to her, he walked toward his future. A new beginning for both of them.

Madge had just come back from her date and was now sitting in the bar with Muriel and Norman when she glanced up to Evelyn's, and now Douglas's room.

"Wasn't that light on before?" she asked with a smirk.

"Really, Madge…" Muriel rolled her eyes and then cast an upward glance herself. "Was it?"

Madge raised her eyebrow at Muriel. As much as she'd deny it, Muriel was just as nosey as Madge was.

"About bloody time, if you ask me," Norman said, taking another sip of brandy.

Madge snorted and chuckled softly to herself and Muriel smacked her arm while Norman looked between the two of them, hoping to be let in on the joke.

"What's funny?"

Madge and Muriel chimed in at the same time."Nothing."

The next morning, Evelyn came down to the small café off to the side of the lobby to have breakfast with the girls. They had all chosen something light and Madge was bringing Evelyn up to speed on her date when Douglas came down the stairs to take Evelyn into town for a bit of exploring. He kissed her cheek and she lifted her hand to caress his cheek when she felt a vice grip on her wrist.

"Freeze!" Madge tugged Evelyn's hand in front of her face and she and Muriel let out simultaneous gasps.

The entire café turned around as Madge squealed her delight and jumped up to hug Evelyn across the small table.

"Yes!" Madge cheered. "Very nice work, Douglas." She was beaming as she admiring the stones that gracefully adorned Evelyn's finger. He gave a small 'thank you' nod.

"Took you long enough," Muriel quipped, but she was smiling just as much as Madge. She stood and hugged Evelyn, though Madge still had a firm grip on Evelyn's left hand as she admired the ring. "I'm happy for you, love."

Evelyn giggled and Douglas moved behind her to wrap his arms around her. He couldn't help the proud grin spreading across his face at his friends' excitement. Once Evelyn had finally managed to pry her hand out of Madge's, they said their goodbyes and walked hand in hand out of the café.

Madge flopped down in her chair and echoed Norman's words from the previous night.

"About bloody time," she grinned and sipped her orange juice as she watched the pair stroll out of the hotel arm in arm.

The hotel was bursting with energy and the staff was rushing this way and that setting up last minute decorations in the garden and in the ballroom. It would be a relatively small ceremony, as they just wanted to celebrate with close friends and the people they'd come to know at the hotel, but Sonny had insisted on making it a very special occasion.

Mrs. Kapoor was just looking in on Evelyn. She stood in the doorway of her suite and gave a reassuring smile to the nervous bride. She asked if everything was alright and Muriel nodded and said they had everything under control. The woman smiled and decided that she should give the bride a few more moments alone with her friends so she went to make sure her son was properly looking after Douglas.

Madge and Muriel had finally managed to get Evelyn to stop pacing the floor and they were now standing on either side of Evelyn as she stood in front of the full length mirror really taking in her appearance for the first time. She wore a flattering ivory lehenga choli with a floor-length skirt. Her shoes were in the same color and were about 2 inches high and the necklace around her neck were designed in a fashion that complimented the stitch-work in her clothing, all handpicked by Mrs. Kapoor. The shoes were just as intricately beaded as her dress and she couldn't help thinking it was all a bit too swish for her. She didn't consider herself a Plain Jane exactly, but she hadn't dreamed of wearing something so ornate.

Mrs. Kapoor had insisted on helping with the wedding plans as she had come to admire the couple during their time spent at the hotel and Evelyn had accepted her offer. Not that she had much choice. Mrs. Kapoor could be very persuasive when she wanted to be. Still, the whole thing was fairly comfortable and she did like the way it fit her.

Douglas and Evelyn had decided that being in India, it was only right that they incorporate some of the customs into their special day, and Sonny and Mrs. Kapoor had been very kind in helping them arrange that. Sonny suggested that they have the wedding to coincide with the Holi festival. Evelyn liked the idea of a spring wedding and being surrounded by bright colors and carefree people, so she talked it over with Douglas and they both agreed.

She took a deep breath and let her eyes wander back up the mirror to her face. She took a long look at her reflection, not really sure she recognized the woman staring back at her. And yet, she felt more like herself than she had in a long time.

"Am I really doing this?" she quietly asked her reflection.

"Yes. And you'll be just fine." Madge smiled at her and rubbed a hand over her shoulder to soothe her.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's not as though I haven't done this before."

"Well yes, but you didn't marry Douglas before." Muriel said. "Something new to look forward to," she said, smiling at her friend in the mirror.

She put a hand on Evelyn's shoulder and Evelyn laid her hand to cover Muriel's. Madge copied the action on the other side, and before long, both women had their arms wrapped around Evelyn, giving her one last bit of encouragement before she 'took the plunge', as Muriel said.

Evelyn was extremely grateful to have friends like Muriel and Madge there for her at such a special time. Ever since she'd accepted Douglas's proposal there had been this little nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that if she married him, she'd only break his heart. Her worst fear, as awful as it sounded, was that she'd become another Jean. She needed the assurance that she was actually doing the right thing, and Madge and Muriel gave her that. With their help, she realized that she'd never become that woman. She loved Douglas too much. And none of them saw that changing any time in the future.

"It's time." Sonny's voice drifted in from the doorway. He stepped inside and Evelyn turned away from the mirror to face him. "You look very beautiful, Mrs. Greenslade."

She smiled. "Thank you. And please, do call me Evelyn."

"Very well, Evelyn," the young man smiled. "Your groom awaits." He turned and left the room, giving the three women a few more moments alone.

Evelyn's heart really began to race then. There was no turning back now. She was really about to marry the man of her dreams. She never imagined she'd be doing all this again so late in life, but here she was. Diving into the wave, with no plans to resist. She'd swim out the other side with Douglas on her arm, and he'd stay there for the rest their lives together.

Madge and Muriel gave her one last squeeze before walking her down to the lobby. They insisted on making sure the coast was clear and Douglas wasn't in the vicinity before actually taking her downstairs. Evelyn giggled to herself. They still couldn't let go of some of their customs.

Madge handed Evelyn her bouquet of deep red roses, remembering how Mrs. Kapoor had insisted on having red as it was a lucky color. Evelyn took the flowers in her hands and with Madge and Muriel flanking her, she walked out into the garden. In keeping with the spirit of the Holi festival, everything was decorated with brightly colored flowers and all sorts of cheery decorations, and Evelyn smiled at the effort her friends had gone through for her to have a memorable day.

She rounded the corner and finally allowed herself to exhale.

The moment she laid eyes on Douglas, all her worries about the future disappeared as if they'd never been there at all, and the only thing she could think of was how much she loved him and how much she wanted to be with him. He looked so handsome. His attire matched Evelyn's and she loved the casual suit that Sonny had chosen for him. Her smile grew twice as wide and she felt all the tension melt out of her. Madge and Muriel each had a hand on one of Evelyn's arms and they both smiled at each other when they felt Evelyn relax.

"Here goes," Evelyn whispered, more to herself than anyone else. She put one foot in front of the other began making the journey down the aisle to her soon to be husband.

When Douglas saw Evelyn, she took his breath away. He knew she'd look beautiful in whatever she wore but nothing could have prepared him for the sight in front of him. She looked absolutely radiant and she wore the biggest smile he'd seen her with since he proposed. Sonny and Norman looked at Evelyn and then at Douglas and gave each other a smile when they noticed the grin that had spread across the groom's face. Everyone involved knew it would be a joyous occasion.

Most of the ceremony passed by in a blur. The only part Evelyn or Douglas really remembered was when the officiant pronounced them married and allowed them to kiss each other, which, if they were honest, was their favorite part anyway. Madge cheered from the sidelines and Muriel couldn't stop smiling as she looked on at the newlyweds. Norman and Sonny were patting Douglas on the back and they all made the trip inside to the ballroom, where the reception was to be held. Friends from the hotel and more members of staff were waiting for them and the room erupted in a cheer when Evelyn and Douglas walked through the doors. Madge spotted her new beau out of the corner of her eye and blushed when he winked at her. The action didn't go unnoticed by Evelyn who silently wished that Madge would be able to build something special with this mystery man.

Evelyn and Douglas enjoyed cake and refreshments with everyone, while well-wishers came up and congratulated them on their union. Evelyn looked at her left hand, which now housed a new solitaire diamond and a matching white gold band, which Douglas had surprised her with during the ceremony. She told him he didn't have to get her a wedding ring as well, but Douglas being Douglas, had other plans. She smiled at the diamond glittering in the light and her grin grew wider when Douglas took her hand and kissed it. He then placed a kiss on her lips and they both giggled at Madge who gave a small 'whoop' from the corner.

A cheer outside the window broke their train of thought and they saw a crowd of people passing the hotel, covered in brightly colored chalk and playing music and dancing. Evelyn looked at Douglas with a twinkle in her eye and Douglas chuckled and nodded his agreement to the unasked question.

She wanted to race outside and join the fun, but then she remembered what she was wearing and how Mrs. Kapoor had gone to the trouble of handpicking it for her and thought better of it. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Mrs. Kapoor holding up a hangar with a simple red and white salwar kameez. She smiled at Evelyn and handed her the outfit, telling her there was just enough time to slip it on and go join the party outside.

"I had a feeling you'd want to celebrate," she smiled.

Evelyn took the ensemble from Mrs. Kapoor and thanked her again. She called Muriel over to help her and scurried off to the nearest free room. She would have called Madge but she noticed Madge was all smiles in the corner with David and she didn't want to ruin whatever they had going. She smiled at the budding romance before hurrying to change her clothes.

Back in the ballroom, Sonny provided Douglas with an alternative outfit as well, telling him that Evelyn wouldn't want to celebrate by herself. Douglas smiled at his young friend and dashed off to his room to change while Norman stood guard outside his door.

The newlyweds met in the lobby, looking just as sensational to each other in their new outfits as they had in their wedding attire and kissed briefly before making their way through the doors and into the streets. The crowd from the reception seemed to have the same idea and were following close behind as they joined in on the celebration. Sprinklings of water and colored dust flew in all directions and laughter erupted from everyone involved as they danced and moved with the crowds. Evelyn and Douglas didn't miss the shower of colors and were now covered in colored powder. They both giggled at the sight of each other and Douglas took Evelyn in his arms and held her tight. They watched people dancing and twirling all around them, bright shades of pink, blue, yellow, red, green, and other shades they'd never quite seen before. They looked on with a bit of shock as Muriel let herself join in on the fun, lobbing a handful of yellow powder at the back of Madge's head.

Madge gasped. "Right!" she lobbed a fistful of blue powder back at Muriel at the battle ensued.

Douglas let out a hearty laugh as Norman ran up behind both women and did a sort of sneak attack, chucking a small bag of red powder over both their heads. No one was acting their age, but they were all having too much fun to care. Evelyn thought to herself that Sonny's suggestion to have the wedding on a festival day was actually a better idea than she'd originally thought. Everyone was laughing and carefree, and she couldn't have asked for anything more.

"Well done, Norman!" Douglas laughed. Evelyn looked over to see Norman give them a thumbs-up before jetting off into the centre of the crowd of people, as Madge was now chasing him with a slightly larger bag of green powder.

Douglas looked down at Evelyn, who's once snow white hair was now brightly colored, and he smiled, placing a kiss to her temple.

He chuckled. "Well I think I can safely say our wedding day didn't go exactly as I expected."

"No." Evelyn laughed. "But sometimes what happens instead is the good stuff."

She looked up at him with a smile and kissed his lips before a sprinkling of blue dust came down over their heads. They had caught the tail end of a cloud that had been lobbed at someone else. She laughed and shook her head a bit to get the excess out of her hair. Evelyn then felt another light thump on her back and turned to see a cloud of bright yellow dust falling to the ground behind her. She looked up to see Madge waggling her eyebrows with a yellow stained hand, and Evelyn narrowed her eyes as if accepting the challenge.

"Shall we Mrs. Ainslie?" Douglas smirked.

Mrs. Ainslie.

It hadn't really hit her before.

That was her name now.

She loved the ring of it. It sounded perfect to her ears.

She grinned up at him. "We shall."

She grabbed an abandoned bag of red dust, slowly walking over to Madge with a plotting smirk. Madge was suddenly looking very apologetic. Just as Evelyn threw a handful of the powder, David jumped in front of Madge and blocked the attack. Madge looked lovingly up at her hero and stuck her tongue out at Evelyn before she burst into a giggle.

'Lucky,' Evelyn mouthed. She smiled and let Madge have that little triumph and she watched as David walked off with Madge on his arm.

Douglas took his wife's hand in his and glanced up toward their room before looking back at Evelyn.

"Naughty." Evelyn giggled.

"I wasn't trying to be. Honest." Douglas smiled and crossed his heart with his pointer finger and Evelyn laughed. "No. I just thought it'd be nice to steal a few moments alone. And as fun as this was, a shower would be nice." He looked down at his soiled, yet brightly colored clothing.

Evelyn laughed as she glanced down at herself. "We will have quite a lot of cleaning up to do, won't we?" She looked at her hands and arms. "It might take several showers to get this completely off."

"True. Though… if we showered together, we wouldn't waste as much water then." He suggested in a nonchalant tone of voice. Evelyn swatted at his arm. "I'm thinking of the environment!" he protested, but couldn't help laughing when he saw the look on her face.

"Sure you are." She smirked. "I suppose it is allowed now that you're my husband."

She beamed and took his arm, sneaking away from the festivities to go back into the hotel. Everyone was too caught up in the celebration outside to notice. But if in fact someone did happen to look around and find them missing, they could probably guess where the couple had run off to, so it was safe to assume they wouldn't be disturbed.

In the festivities below, Norman smiled and gave a small salute as he saw the door to their room softly close. "Well done, old man. Well done. " He chuckled and jumped back into the celebration, just barely ducking a cloud of blue dust that Madge had lobbed his way. He took one last glance at Douglas and Evelyn's room before chasing after her.


	2. Flying

Douglas showered first, finding that the powder was easier to clean off than he imagined, though he still felt a little guilty about getting Mrs. Kapoor's clothing covered in the stuff. Evelyn felt bad about it too, but assured herself that Mrs. Kapoor wouldn't have given the clothes to them, knowing what the festival entailed, if they weren't meant to get messy.

She waited patiently for Douglas to finish in the shower, spending that time by the window, smiling down on the festivities that were still going on in the streets below. If she scanned the crowd carefully enough, she could spot her friends, still having a grand time, although they now seemed to be engaged in a personal dust war with each other, rather than actually celebrating with the rest of the crowd. Norman and Sonny were reveling in sneaking up on the girls, throwing clouds of multicolored dust over their heads whenever they could find the opportunity. Even Muriel and Mrs. Kapoor had teamed up and were seemingly trying to find a way around Madge's new boyfriend, who was now blocking most of the dust being thrown her way.

She giggled. She loved seeing her friends having so much fun. The one thing she hoped for on this day, other than finally being able to marry to the man she loved, was that her friends would be happy too. She wanted everyone who came to celebrate to be smiling and having a good time. She doubted they'd be anywhere near as happy as she was, but she did try to get them closer to her level.

She wondered if anyone had ever been this happy before. If anyone had ever felt this indescribable joy of loving and being loved in return. She couldn't quite put words to it, but she supposed if she had to describe it, the closest thing she could think of would be flying. It sounded a bit cliché, but that's what it felt like. She felt as though she was flying; soaring through the air with nothing sunny blue skies ahead of her. She felt free.

Free to be herself.

Free to love.

Free to be loved.

As she watched the festival continue in the streets below, she made a mental note to do something nice for Sonny and Mrs. Kapoor as they had been so kind in helping orchestrate the event and it had turned out to be everything she wanted and more. It wasn't what most would call a "normal" wedding by any means, but if they'd wanted normal, they would have stayed in England. As far as Evelyn was concerned, her wedding day had been absolutely perfect.

The door to the bathroom quietly opened and Douglas came out in his deep blue robe, towel drying his hair. She looked up when she heard the click of the door and smiled at him. When he took the towel down, his hair stuck up in several directions, making Evelyn chuckle to herself. She walked over to meet him by the foot of the bed and he bent down to kiss her but she put a hand to his chest to stop him.

"I'll get you all messy again," she smiled. He pouted and she giggled. "I won't be long."

He flopped on the bed and raised his towel to finish drying his hair, casting a longing glance toward Evelyn, making her laugh. She shook her head and closed the bathroom door behind her and from the other side, Douglas heard the distinct sound of the spray of shower water hitting tile. He waited a few moments to make sure she was actually in before implementing his plan. He walked over to the closet and opened the doors to find everything he'd requested had been left there just as Madge had said. Madge had planted it all there just before they went out in the streets to join the festival. Douglas took the items out of the closet and went to the small fridge in the kitchen to get the rest. He carefully set everything up so Evelyn would see it when she came out. Then he sat on the bed and opened a book and pretended to read while he waited for her to emerge.

His timing was perfect. He'd only just sat down when he heard the shower turn off. A few more minutes and he heard the sound of her hair dryer, and idly wondered why he hadn't thought of that. He quickly reached for the comb he remembered was in the drawer of the nightstand and smoothed his hair as best he could before hastily putting the comb back and quietly shutting the drawer.

He picked up his book again just as she opened the door.

She tightened the tie on her robe. "That was actually easier to scrub off than I-"

Evelyn stopped cold as she took in the sight in front of her.

"Oh, Douglas… this… this is wonderful," she gasped.

Her eyes roamed over the antique metal cart. There was a tray with gourmet chocolate covered strawberries, and another with bits of melon and raspberries next to a small bowl of cream. It almost looked too beautiful to eat. There was a bucket with champagne on ice and a slim vase with a single red rose stood next to it. She looked over at Douglas and noticed there were rose petals lightly scattered all over the bed and she followed the trail and saw that it stopped where she was standing.

Douglas smiled and put the book down, not seeing any reason to keep pretending now that she'd seen it all, and padded over to where she was standing.

"You like it then?" he asked.

"I love it," she smiled. "I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. You've already the said the two most important words I needed to hear today. That'll do."

She put her arms around his waist and tilted her head up to kiss him. His lips came down to meet hers and they both moaned softly.

"I love you," she whispered. "I love you so much."

"I know. And it's a good thing you do because I love you too."

He smiled and took her hand, gently leading her over to the tray. She studied the fruit for a moment, and after a few seconds, she chose one of the chocolate covered strawberries and held it out to him. He reached out to take it from her and she pulled the fruit back out of his reach.

He frowned for a moment, not understanding.

She smirked and shook her head and held the fruit out again, just in front of his lips and this time he got the hint and carefully bit into it. She smiled at his quiet moan of approval and took a bite of the fruit herself. She closed her eyes and savored the mingling flavors for a moment and when her eyes fluttered open again, she saw Douglas looking at her intently.

He gently took what was left of the strawberry out of her hand and stepped closer, capturing her lips in a fiery kiss that nearly made her legs buckle. Douglas smiled against her lips as he felt the tremble go through her body. She had that effect on him all the time, whether she knew it or not. It was only right that she should have a taste of her own medicine, so to speak.

He helped her onto the bed and slowly crawled over her as they kissed again. She slid her hands up his arms to the back of his head and wrapped her leg around him, pulling him in even closer. He let out a slight gasp at her forwardness, but then chuckled slightly. She was getting bolder with each encounter and there was always some little thing she did that never failed to surprise him. Little did she know, he had a few surprises of his own.

He gently pulled away from her and she couldn't help her whimper of disappointment.

He smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

He pulled the tray of food closer and she looked on, wondering what he was about to do. He took the bowl of cream off the tray and dipped one of the raspberries into it. She looked at him for a moment before taking the berry between her lips and into her mouth. Douglas smiled and pulled his fingers away, licking them clean. She smiled and raised an eyebrow when she noticed his eyes dart down to her chest. She looked down and saw that her robe had fallen open just slightly at the top and some of the cream from the raspberry had dripped onto her chest. She had been so caught up in his heated gaze, she didn't even feel the cool cream hit her skin.

Douglas leaned forward and kissed the spot where the cream had fallen, and Evelyn closed her eyes and tilted her head back to give him better access. She felt his hands undo the tie to her robe and smiled. She was suddenly very grateful that she decided to forego wearing anything underneath it. And from the sound of the low groan that rumbled from his throat, so was he. She sat up just enough to slide the silky material off her shoulders, and then she lay back down to let Douglas continue his kisses. Her eyes fluttered closed again as she felt his hand begin to roam over her hip.

Her eyes flew open again when she felt cool liquid on her left breast.

She looked down to see Douglas holding a cream drenched berry between his fingertips, tracing a random pattern onto her skin.

"Whoops." Douglas smirked and lowered his head to lick off his artistic design.

Evelyn gasped and held his head to her as his lips closed around her nipple. She bit her lip and moaned a little louder. She'd never done anything like this before. Her love life was always very vanilla, nothing particularly special about it. She liked sex her late husband, but he was very much a get-straight-to-the-point type of man. He'd never have been daring enough to do anything like this. To her, everything about Douglas was exciting and new, and she should have known that excitement would carry over into the bedroom.

Douglas moaned his appreciation as the flavor of the cream and the sweet taste of Evelyn's skin mingled and washed over his tongue. He'd never been bold enough to do anything like this with his ex-wife. Partially because she'd never have let him, but mostly because he hadn't really wanted to. But with Evelyn, everything was different. He wanted to try all sorts of new things. He wanted to try everything he could think of in as many different ways as he could think to do them, hoping that it would show her just how much love he had for her. He was, however, not what he'd call a connoisseur in that area, so he'd swallowed his pride and had a little talk with Madge to try and get some ideas on how to go about it all. It definitely ranked among the more awkward conversations he'd had in his time, but if it meant Evelyn would be pleased with him, he was willing to go through it. Some of the things she'd told him were flat out not going to happen, as he doubted either himself or Evelyn was acrobatic enough to pull off such stunts. But this idea seemed safe enough. This, he decided, he could do.

He looked up at Evelyn's face again and saw that her eyes had closed again and she was biting her lip to try and stifle her moans. He was so glad his plan was working and he smiled against her skin. Without his mouth breaking contact with her breast, he dipped the berry again and drizzled some of the cream on the opposite side of her chest, kissing his way across. Evelyn arched into him a little more and her hands gripped his upper arms as her breathing became shallower. He kissed lower and Evelyn's breath hitched when she felt his mouth tenderly kiss her sex. She grabbed the duvet as he sucked her clit into his mouth and rapidly flicked his tongue over it. His moans vibrated through her body and sent shivers up her spine and she couldn't keep still. His tongue explored every bit of her as if it were the first time, and when he slipped his finger into her, that was all it took for her to come undone.

She'd been on edge since he'd started the attention to her breasts and she'd been trying to hold on to the little control she had left, but she felt his finger slide into her and his tongue moved over her clit in just the right motion and she couldn't hold back anymore. Her cry of completion filled the room and for just a second, she wondered if they'd heard her outside.

She felt the swish of air as he whipped his robe off and then the glorious feeling of fullness as he slid into her. She decided she didn't care who heard her at this point. As far as they were both concerned, they were the only two people in the world. He thrust slowly at first, giving her time to adjust to him before picking up the pace just a bit. He did want it to last, but he didn't think he could go too slowly. He'd go mad.

She rolled her hips against him, squeezing him with her inner muscles and a shudder went through his body. Apparently his experiment with the fruit excited him just as much as it did her, as his hips jerked forward and his tempo faltered.

"If you keep that up, this won't last very long," he panted.

She smirked. "Sorry."

"You are not."

"You're right," she smirked. "I'm not." She did it again and chuckled as he groaned

"Right. That's it."

He lifted her leg higher to curl around his hip, changing the angle, and began to thrust deeper and harder. She cried out and clutched his shoulders tightly and whimpered her pleasure.

"You bloody cheat," she scolded.

She tried to glare at him but it lost its effect as her eyes slipped closed and pleasure overtook her.

"Oh god. Oh god. Ohhh godddd."

Her head tossed back and forth on the pillow and her nails started to dig into his arms. He smirked and rolled his hips against her at just the right angle, hitting her g-spot. She screamed and her eyes screwed shut as orgasmic tremors racked her body. Her climax triggered his and he came with a shout, just barely managing to catch himself on his forearms and stop himself collapsing on top of her.

He rolled off of her so as not to crush her, but was careful to keep her close to him. He relished the warmth and he had a feeling neither of them wanted to be disconnected so soon. She moved with him and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled into him.

"Favorite part of the day?" he asked

"I think saying 'I do' was my favorite part but… this is definitely a close second." She giggled and felt his body shake gently as he joined in her laughter.

He gave her a small squeeze. "I'm just glad that you're happy."

"I am. Very happy. Are you?"

"How could I not be? I've got you."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him and their lips met in a tender kiss. She briefly toyed with the idea of them going again, but with the wedding and the festival and just having ending a round of love making, she figured neither one of them had the energy. Still, she relished the closeness with him and relaxed even more into his embrace. She picked up a rose petal from the duvet and lightly brushed it across his chest as she listened to the soft thumping of his heart.

She listened for a few moments and found herself smiling.

She wasn't at all surprised to realize that his heartbeat matched hers.

Why shouldn't it? They were made for each other. Sure, it had taken them a little longer to find each other, and they both had to overcome obstacles, but it only sweetened the reward when they finally got it. The longer to wait, the better to have.

She snuggled into him even more, although they were already physically about as close as they could get. But it still wasn't quite close enough for Evelyn. She loved him so much, she wasn't sure if she'd ever stop feeling the way she did at that moment. She doubted it.

His breathing had evened out and without looking up, she knew he'd drifted off to sleep. She felt a stab of pride at having worn him out and she giggled to herself. The light shaking of her shoulders, made him tighten his hold on her just momentarily before relaxing again.

She kissed his chest lightly, thinking that maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea.

She rested her head just over his heart and the satisfied smile never left her lips as she closed her eyes. Her last thought before she slipped into dreaming was that this was most definitely what happiness felt like.

It felt like…

flying.


End file.
